8 Nov 2018 16:32

RZD investment program to rise to over 680 bln rubles in 2019 - Medvedev

MOSCOW. Nov 8 (Interfax) - Russian Railway's (RZD) investment program in 2019 will be over 680 billion rubles, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

RZD's original draft financial plan envisaged a smaller amount of 628.4 billion rubles. Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh said that RZD's investment program would total 547 billion rubles in 2018.

"The planned amount of [RZD's] investment program in 2019 will be over 680 billion rubles, in 2020 - over 820 billion rubles and in 2021 - 745 billion rubles," the prime minister said.

"The amount of money is of course not insignificant, it is clear that adjustments are possible here in one way or the other, depending on how priorities are be set and how these funds are be used. They need to be allocated to deal with the most important tasks which RZD faces," Medvedev said.

Among these priorities, Medvedev named projects included in the comprehensive plan to modernize and expand mainline infrastructure up to 2024, (increasing the throughput capacity of the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railways, reducing container haulage times and developing approaches to ports in the Far East, North-West and South of Russia).